JackieB Against the World
by Wintermittens
Summary: Jack wakes up in the mouth of a cave to screams, somehow he acquires an amnesiac child and an owl-themed adversary. Now on the run from the feathered fiend in a Gotham that is unknown to him, he and the newly dubbed B fight to survive. All the while a certain Bat family is out on the hunt for a missing member and suspiciously absent Arkham inmate.


He wakes up on a metal slab, and he doesn't remember anything else. He tries to get up, he's so very scared, _I want my Mommy,_ but there are metal straps keeping him down securely. The cold of the metal stings his back and he whimpers as his struggles lessen. _I want my Daddy_. Where is he? Why is he here? How did this happen? He tries to see where he is but the "room" is pitch black, the only illuminated part is where he's laying. When he stopped moving and just shook in fear a voice called out, " _Ah. I see you are awake now...what's your name little one?"_ His head jerked up as he squinted at the harsh light that beamed down on him. He knew the person was up there and he _hated, **hated** -_ there was a clicking sound and the slab sparked with electricity and he _screamed_.

It went on for a few minutes and he thrashed and screamed, but he couldn't make it stop. The clicking sounded again from the same place and it stopped hurting. His body now shook with the after tremors of the shock, his cheeks wet with tears and the voice, " _Answer quicker little one….what is your name?"_ the voice said more firmly. But he didn't know, he didn't know! How was he supposed to answer if he didn't know and if he did, there was something telling him that he would _never_ have said it to the voice. " _...You always have been so stubborn, well, perhaps this will be good for you."_ And there was another _click_.

* * *

Jack woke up to the sound of screaming, which was nothing new, Gotham always had screaming occurring somewhere. Sometimes...the screaming was in his house. But this was different. This screaming was different, it echoed and bounce off the walls of- oh, oh where was he? He distinctly remembered falling asleep near the cupboard last night and now he was near a cave, soft hooting emanated from around the trees in the shadows. Oh god, where was he? With a cursory glance at his surroundings, he found that yes, he was in a cave. He was also in a long yellow undershirt with a comically oversized jacket barely hanging to his emancipated frame. He sat on a dirt ground in an unknown location with god knows what hooting at him.

"H-hello?" He called out. It became deathly quiet, not a sound could be heard, which gave Jack goosebumps at how tense the situation had become. Slowly he pushed himself of the ground and took a hesitant step forward, "Hello? Is-is anyone out there?" Before he could take another step, the hooting grew furious. The desperate screams of pain had started again mixing in with the wild hell screeches of what could only be described as demon yowls. It was getting to be too much, too much! _So he ran_.

Bare feet slapped stone floor as Jack went deeper into the cave. The screams grew louder and louder as Jack's heart raced with exertion but then the screams suddenly died off and Jack was once again left alone in silence, a part of him was saddened by the loss of the sound. That sounded...wrong the screams were bad, it meant someone was in pain. _So why did they excite him?_ He only then noticed that he wasn't moving but something else was. Sharp steps sounded from what seemed to be boots clicking down from deeper in and Jack scurried to find a place to hide. He climbed the limestone wall into a dark hole and waited. He didn't have to for long.

The looming, dark, feathered figure stalked forward and didn't once look up, but Jack sucked in a breathe. The _thing_ was speaking into his wrist and he could only hear what it was saying until he was closer, " _-ruce is secured. The first phase has been a success, however the child seems just as stubborn as he is in his natural form. With more time and conditioning he will break and become compliant. There was a slight discrepancy however, an unwanted had intruded and was given the same treatment as the child. I have yet to dispose of him."_ Jack's heart speed up, was that him? And, and he was talking about a kid. There was _a kid_ and he was the one who was screaming. _God, god that's_ _fucked up_.

" _ **I see...be quick about this Talon, or I will have your head on a pike. I want this to be done as quickly and quietly as possible "**_ The other person on the…sci-fi wrist watch said. _Wait, what if this is some sort of government thing, or, or the feathered freak was some kind of alien! Oh my god did I get abducted by aliens?_ The owl guy suddenly stopped directly under where Jack was hiding. He tried to go as still as possible as he waited to either be discovered or walked past. The creature's seemingly large red eyes searched around, as it's unholy sight drew nearer and nearer to his hidey hole Jack's hands clenched in fear, digging fingers into crumbled dirt.

" _ **Cobb. I want an answer."**_ Called out the voice from the communicator. The thing, Cobb, turned his sights back on his wrist and continued walking out the cave's mouth. " _I'm sorry my Owl, I thought I heard something."_ Jack let out the breathe he tried to hold in and after a few moments he crept out of his crevice. The maybe alien had already went to the front so, Jack was forced to go deeper into the cave.

As Jack continued to traverse deeper into the cave he saw what appeared to be a back exit in the distance. A bright light shined down from what appeared to be a cliff into a pit. _Oh thank god, all I have to do is climb up there and not fall._ As he got closer however it seemed that the light at the end of the tunnel was just a giant lamp chained up to the ceiling. _Huh, that's a funny joke. Being lead astray by a false light, I should write that one down._ It hung over the direct center of the pit and its light bore straight down on- _Oh shit, it's that kid._ Jack saw the little mess whimper and seize under the bulky metal straps that held him down to the metal table that seemed to be shocking him. Jack just watched for a second or two as the child writhed in agony at the low setting of electricity. _The thing must've not turned it off fully…_

In the corner of his eye he saw what appeared to be a computer with lots of complicated dials and screens. He slowly walked towards it almost as if he was in a daze, the pained little cries seemed to be messing with him. In the center of the complicated machine was a large dial made for the electricity, his hand wavered over it. The left indicated on the shocks getting weaker in charge and right was stronger. _**Turn it all the way to the right, that'll be funny. It'll be hilarious. **_Jack's hand quickly jerked away from the dial. _What?_ He screamed at himself. _What the_ _hell_ _was that?_ He eyed the dial again, and putting in almost all his conscious thought, turned the dial left stubbornly ignoring the dark niggling in the back off his brain. He heard the whimpering get quieter and tried to feel good about stopping the kid's pain and was slightly scared when he didn't.

* * *

The questioning was coming, the voice was going to ask him something again since the shocks had stopped. He sniffled and swallowed back a cry. He wanted, he _desperately_ wanted this to stop. He wanted to stop the hurt but every time the voice asked him a question his mouth screwed shut and his answers bled away. But he didn't want them to! He wasn't meaning to! " _Little one...you're the only one to blame for this, is it not too much for a simple answer? You are being_ _very_ _disagreeable."_ That was what it said before it left the electricity on low as what seemed to be punishment.

It wasn't too much, he wasn't trying to be a bad child. He just wanted it to stop, and then it did and he was scared about that as well. It stopped and he waited and waited and nothing was said. _Is this a trick? Is it waiting on me? Am I supposed to do something? I don't know what I need to do!_ His heart felt to big for his chest, but still he took deep calm breathes even though he wanted to heave, he couldn't make his body doing what he wanted and it _scared_ him.

"Hey!" His eyes flickered back up towards the light, his muscles to weak to move his head up. This was different, that voice was different. "Uh…are you alive down there?" Hands tighten into fist. _Was, was this a trick? This is a trick isn't it?_

"Um, well okay maybe I should just g-" Fear seized him, no no no _nononononno_ _ **nonono don't go!**_ "Dun't." He gasped out, desperate struggles renewed. "Oh! Okay you're, you're alive. Uh, how do I?" He heard the other fumble above. "I don't know what the rest of these do, so bare with me I guess. H-heh, get it. We're in a cave, ' _bear with me'?_ Classic." The other chortles nervously as it does whatever out of his sight, he hears a _click_ and immediately tensed.

 _It was trick,_ _ **it was a**_ _**trick!**_ He waits for the pain to be renewed but he just hears more mumbled curses and clicks. Somehow the other made the bars raise, he struggled to push himself up right. "Ah geez, one sec kid you look like crap. I'm gonna try and get you out of there." He heard more rustling and watched as a long rope fell from the ceiling, it swayed slightly as a small lump swallowed in purple fabric slid down. Once securely on the ground, the other's face could be seen. It was boy with the an almost unnaturally pale skin tone, his eyes were so dark they were almost black, and plastered to his face due to exertion was stringy brown hair. The boy turned and faced him, his clothes seemed very ill fitting to the small frame, and smiled a crooked smile.

"Well, guess we finally meet face to face huh? Name's Jack or, Jackie if you prefer short stack, what's yours?" His chest drawn tight with unknown apprehension, he answered. "B." The other, _Jackie he said he was Jackie,_ cocked his head like an animal questioning something. "B? Now that ain't a name." Heart stuttering at what could be an accusation, it seemed Jackie understood his fear because the other quickly rambled, "Oh hey, uh if that's what they named you y'know. Could be worse, could be _Jill_. I mean though that would be funny, Jack n' Jill even though I'm pretty sure you a boy but-" _They, he means parents._ "I don't know." Came the quiet answer. Jackie turned his attention back to B. "You don't know? Your name or your parents?" Still not fit to move B could only answer. "Both…B sounds right. I, I can't move." Jackie just smiled at that. "Well, that's okay, B huh? Good enough for now, and don't worry about the moving thing, 'said I'd get you out and I will." B still felt wary but tentatively smiled back at Jackie, he didn't lie before and it would be nice to get out. Jackie's smile grew larger in response, "Yeah, we'll get out of here together. Promise."


End file.
